18.
A JAX
“What in the hell are you doing?”
Sandi looked over her shoulder at me and barked out a laugh before she said, “I know you’re not talking to me in that tone of voice.”
“Is there anyone else in here I might be talking to?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? Do you need glasses? Can you put two and two together?”
“You’ve been going at it since God knows when this morning and . . .”
“I woke up a little before five and went to the grocery store, got back around six, and then started working in the kitchen.”
“Why?”
“We’re having company.”
“We’re not having company.”
“You said that some of your friends were coming here for a meeting, and Abigail said that some of your employees were stopping by to discuss how you’re going to get to the trial safely. I met two men in a dark alley who came here to visit with you and just so happened to stop us from getting mugged. And . . .”
“I could have stopped them just fine on my own.”
“Whatever! There were two men there who said that they’d be here.”
“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing in the kitchen.”
“We’re having guests, and I’m feeding them.”
“Why?”
Sandi spun around and pointed the wooden spoon in her hand at me before she asked, “Do you ask stupid questions just to get me riled up, or are you really that dense?”
“You can’t feed all of them, Sandi. It would take an industrial-sized kitchen and staff to feed all of them at once.”
“Or it would take a woman who had two babies that ate their weight in food every day until they became two very large men.”
“Two is different than ten.”
“One teenage boy’s appetite is equivalent to three grown men. Between my sons and their friends, especially after they had played hard, either in sports or just outside being boys, I’d guess that I could easily feed thirty men just using the equipment right here in this kitchen with absolutely no help from anyone.”
“We’re not having thirty people over, Attila.”
“Don’t hurt yourself trying to listen to me, Ajax. Tell me approximately how many mouths I have to feed and let me do the hard math.”
It became clear that this wasn’t going to be a quick argument that could end with a romp around the bedroom, so I washed my hands before I sat down at the bar and said, “I’ll be your sous chef. Just tell me what to do.”
“First, you can tell me who is here, how long they’re going to stay, and what’s going on.”
“You know Sarge and Toris. You met Roux, Maple, and Fish. They’ll be here along with Phil, Chewie, and Oz.”
“While you peel those potatoes, you can tell me the story behind all of their names.”
“I don’t know that there’s much to tell,” I said as I picked up the peeler and got started. “Besides, those are their stories, not mine.”
“How long will they be here?”
“Everyone except Toris, Fish, and Phil will leave in three days. They'll set up on the route we’ll take to get Abigail back for the trial and secure places for us to stay when we need to stop and swap out vehicles along the way.”
“I have a question that I’ve avoided asking for a while.”
“You can ask me anything, Ratched. I can’t always tell you every detail, but I won’t lie if I can’t.”
“What sort of man is Abigail’s ex that he can get around federal witness protection and blatantly try to kill her? Furthermore, what sort of man is her father that he can afford to hire more than half a dozen men to make sure that doesn’t happen?”
I could feel Sandi’s eyes on me, but I didn’t look up. The potato in my hand had just managed to become very interesting, especially since I’d promised to keep my client as anonymous as possible - and not just for her safety.
“Is this one of those things you can’t tell me?” Sandi asked as she rested her forearms on the counter and leaned down to look at me.
“I told you I wouldn’t lie if I couldn’t give you details, and this is me not doing that.”
“She’s not famous. I’d recognize her if she was, wouldn’t I?”
“She’s not now .”
Sandi’s eyes got wide before she asked, “But the man looking for her is?” When I just gave her a blank stare, she bit her lip and looked away before she asked, “And so is her father?”
My non-answer must have been enough because Sandi took a deep breath before she whispered, “I love conspiracy theories, and I’m gonna figure this out one way or another.”
“Don’t make waves, Ratched.”
“I won’t, I’m just gonna think about things a little.”
“Don’t search online for anything about her, babe. Keywords are easy to pick up on for certain . . . people.”
“Holy shit,” Sandi whispered before she looked over at Abigail’s bedroom door. When she looked back at me she said, “Right now she’s just a young woman I’ve grown fond of with two little girls who have stolen my heart, but I’d like an approximate date of when you think you might be able to answer the questions I have.”
I laughed as I picked up another potato and got to work. “When her trial is finished and the danger to her has passed, I’ll make you give me a vow of secrecy and then tell you exactly what’s going on.”
“Her name’s not really Abigail, is it?”
“What exactly are you making to feed the hungry masses?” I asked Sandi in an obvious bid to change the subject.
“I have ways of making you talk, Eric.”
“Oh! I’m terrified. She’s using my government name!” I said in mock outrage. “Whatever will I do?”
“Blow jobs will become a fond memory if you keep that shit up.”
“Have I told you yet today that you’re the meanest woman I’ve ever met, Ratched?”
“You told me you loved me yesterday, Ajax. That’s just as good.”
“I meant it.”
◆◆◆
“Roux, I want you to stay here with Sandi. You know the lay of the land, and for some reason, she likes your ass, so you’re the best bet for being able to keep up with her.”
“I’m happy to do that,” Roux said cheerfully. “Gonna teach her to make jambalaya.”
“I didn’t mean you have to move in, asshole, just that you need to make sure she stays safe. If they haven’t figured out who has been protecting Abigail yet, they will the second we walk through the courthouse door. That’s when the shit will hit the fan.”
“Want me to take her somewhere?”
“She won’t go,” I assured him as I shook my head. “Sandi is not the type of woman to run away from anything.”
“She’s become fast friends with Jolie,” my friend Dante said with a shrug. “Maybe she can convince her to come home with us for a little while.”
“She really likes the job she’s been assigned to, so she’s not going to want to let them down, which means she’s going to stay here no matter what.”
“Well, if she changes her mind, Roux can bring her to our place.”
“When are you leaving with the kids?” Toris asked. Since he’d met Abigail and her children, he’d gotten close to them and I knew it was going to be hard for him to let them go. Sarge was going to feel the same way. It worried me that both of them had taken such a personal interest in the job.
Of course, I had fallen hard for those little girls myself, so I didn’t have much room to talk, but I thought that their interest might have more to do with Abigail herself rather than her children.
“We’ll leave right around the girls’ bedtime the night before all of you get on the road.”
“Kill two birds with one stone, huh? Romance your woman in New Orleans before you saddle her with two more kids for a while? You’re smarter than you look, Pardo.”
“She’s happy to help.”
“Jolie’s a wonderful woman,” I told my friend with a smile.
Oz laughed before he said, “She’s gotta be a saint to put up with his ass.”
“I’m not arguing that,” Dante said cheerfully, used to our friend’s good-natured teasing. “We’re both ready to go back, though. We miss the kids.”
“That boy of yours is how old now?” I asked.
“Donovan is two.”
“Oh, you’re gonna have a houseful,” I said with an exaggerated wince.
“We always do. Jolie comes from a big family, and there are babies all over the place.”
“So, everything is set,” I said before I took the last sip of my beer. “Thank you guys for all of your help, and as usual, you will be handsomely rewarded. With that being said, I’ve been down here for way too long. I’m missing my old lady, so I’m going to go upstairs.”
“I’ll go up with you and get my wife,” Dante said as he stood. He tossed the bottle of water he’d finished toward the trash can and then put both hands up in triumph when it bounced off the rim and then fell in. “If I don’t see you before you leave, this is goodbye, but know you can come visit anytime.”
“You’re all welcome to hang out here for as long as you want. You can bunk down here, in the spare apartment, or on one of my couches if you decide to stay overnight.”
“I’ll go relieve Fish so he can get something to eat,” Chewie said as he stood up.
Oz stood up at the same time and said, “And I’ll take Phil’s perch for a while so he can do the same.”
“Thanks again, guys. I’m always happy when you get to see me,” I said sarcastically.
There were jeers and friendly insults in my wake as I opened the door to go upstairs. I was still laughing when Dante and I got to the landing and I entered the code to get us into the apartment.
When I greeted Sandi with a kiss, Dante did the same thing with his wife, and after saying goodbye, the couple left to go back to their hotel.
Once they were gone, I asked Abigail, “What did you think of Jolie?”
“I really like her. She’s so fun, and the girls took to her almost instantly, so I feel better about them staying with her while we’re gone,” she answered.
“It’s been good news all around today,” I said as I pulled Sandi into my arms. “The prosecutor said that your case is a slam dunk, and my girl got a job offer.”
“Are you going to take it?” Abigail asked excitedly.
Sandi didn’t hesitate when she answered, “I am. I’m going to stay in New Orleans.”
Of course, she’d already told me, but hearing her say it again made me squeeze her a little tighter and give in to the urge to kiss her again. By the time we came up for air, Abigail was already gone. I smiled down at Sandi and said, “I think we ran her off.”
“I don’t know what it is about you, but you make me lose my head in more ways than one.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“That’s a wonderful thing.”
“We need to get you to bed, Ratched. I’d hate to be the reason you’re evil to some poor, unsuspecting patient tomorrow. They might not be as even-tempered as I was during my convalescence and start giving you shit.”
“Sometimes, the urge to poke you with something sharp is almost overwhelming.”
I laughed before I said, “How about I poke you with something that’s not so sharp?”
“Your brain does that every time you speak,” Sandi teased as she started walking away. I watched her add a little extra sway to her hips and smiled when she looked over her shoulder at me invitingly. “But if you want to poke me with that other thing, I wouldn’t mind it.”
“Game on!”
◆◆◆
When the phone rang, I jumped to answer it before it woke Sandi. She still had an hour or more before she had to wake up to get ready for her day. Although I still didn’t understand why she got up so damn early when she could sleep for at least another hour, it wasn’t my business. I just chalked it up to one of her odd quirks.
I could do that because she swore I had a million of them.
“What?” I hissed as I got out of bed and walked toward the bathroom where I could shut the door in the hopes of letting her sleep.
“A rental car with three men in it parked at the end of the block over an hour ago. One got out and walked around your building to the alley. Phil has eyes on him, and so far, he’s just looking around. Other two are waiting in the car.”
“Fuck! I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Text coming in. Phil says there’s a car sitting at his end of the block in my blind spot. Three men. All still.”
“I’ve got men in here now, so these fuckers picked the wrong goddamn night.”
“Yep. I’ll stay where I am and keep in touch with Phil.”
“Ten four.” I hung up and hurried around the room to get my clothes and boots and then carried them downstairs to get dressed in the living room. Luckily, there were a few guys camped out downstairs other than the usual two, and I woke them up when I flipped the light on and said, “We’ve got company.”
Toris, Chewie, and Oz all woke up instantly, still on high alert even after years outside of prison walls. While I pulled on my clothes, I told them what Fish had reported, and by the time I had my boots on, so did they.
Toris was already on the phone with Sarge, who was sleeping next door, and I left it to him to wake the men up to help me investigate.
“Toris, share the weapons. One of you should stay on the landing outside the door while someone else hides by the patio door. Toris, keep the line open between us, and if you hear the signal, get Abigail and the girls into my room until I give you the all clear.”
“What about Sandi? Will she come down?”
“I left a note on her phone to tell her to stay upstairs no matter what she hears and locked the door behind me when I left. She’ll hear you if you have to take the girls upstairs, and she won’t give you any shit when you keep her up there.”
“You sure?”
“If I’m sure of one thing in this world, it’s that my old lady is smart enough not to go running into danger when she’s been warned to stand down. She’ll pace and probably rant and rave while she’s worried, but she’s steady and will keep her head together until she gets the all clear.”
There was a barely discernible tap on the front door, and Sarge went to answer it while Toris called me to open the line of communication between us.
“I’ve got the front door,” Oz informed me as he checked the weapon Toris had pulled out of the hiding place beneath the couch.
Chewie did the same thing and, a few seconds later, said, “I’ve got the patio.”
I walked out onto the landing with Sarge and then hurried down the stairs beside him with Roux and Maple behind us. Once we got downstairs, I went through the door into the garage to find Lurk walking through the side door with a man draped over his shoulder.
“Where the fuck did you come from?” I asked.
“Your mom’s house,” Lurk said quietly before he chuckled and said, “I was too late for the meeting, so I’ve been down the street talking to Phil. I left and was walking down here to get some sleep when the car drove up. He called me, and I decided to inspect the situation and figure out what’s going on.”
“Is he dead?” I asked as I walked around Lurk to see the man’s face.
“He’s wearing a fucking suit. Is he a Fed?” Maple asked.
“I doubt it,” I told him as I pulled the man’s wallet out of his pocket and flipped it open. The badge looked authentic enough, as did the identification, but something was off. I said, “Tie him up while I make a call.”
“Shit! We’re gonna tie up a Fed?” Roux asked. “I’m gonna have to get lost in the swamp again.”
“And I’m gonna end up sneaking back into fucking Canada,” Maple said sadly. “Dammit.”
“Shut the fuck up and get him restrained. Sarge, call Toris and get an open line,” I ordered. I scrolled through my contacts and found the federal agent I’d been in contact with, but since I wasn’t sure I trusted him, I didn’t call his number. Instead, I dialed another one that I hadn’t known for years and had only used a few times lately. When he answered, I said, “Sorry to wake you, but I’ve got a problem and need someone I trust on the case.”
“What’s going on?” Chandler whispered. I could hear him moving around, probably trying to get out of the bedroom so he didn’t wake his wife. After I heard a door shut, he asked in a normal tone, “Are you okay?”
“I am, but I’m working this case and not sure who I can trust in the FBI.”
“I’ve got contacts there that I would trust with my life.”
I laughed bitterly before I said, “I thought the same thing at one point, but I’ve got no illusions now. Will you help me out?”
“Yes. What do you need?”
“I’m going to send you a picture of a badge and an identification. I need to find out if this guy is authentic, and if he is, I need to know if he’s on an assignment or going rogue for another reason.”
“What makes you think he’s not who he says he is?”
“Because there are two cars casing my house and this fucker got caught sneaking around in my alley wearing a fucking suit.”
“At three o’clock in the morning?” Chandler asked in confusion.
“That was my first thought,” I said as I hit the speaker button so I could take pictures of the badge and ID in my hand and send it to my brother.
Chandler laughed before he said, “Absolutely not. There’s no way an agent who has more than a day’s worth of experience would get caught on a stakeout wearing a fucking suit.”
“Exactly.”
“I just got the pictures. Let me make a call, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks.”
“Should I ask how you came into possession of that identification and badge?”
“Nope.”
“Alrighty then,” Chandler said before he ended the call.
“Did you call the Feds and ask if this is their guy?”
“No. I called someone I can trust.”
“There’s a Fed you can trust?” Roux asked.
“He’s not an agent anymore, and that’s how I know I can trust him.” I turned around and looked at the man on the ground who was now trussed up like he should be on a spit, but instead of an apple, he had one of my red shop rags that was covered in God-only knew-what stuck in his mouth. He wasn’t awake yet, which made me wonder exactly what Lurk had done to knock him out. I asked, “Did anyone check to make sure he’s still alive?”
“He’s breathing,” Lurk said as he watched the man. I was watching him, too, and impatiently waiting to see his chest rise and fall. When the man finally took a breath, Lurk let out a low whistle before he said, “That was a close one.”
I got a text and looked down to find a question from my brother.
Does this guy’s face match the picture on the ID?
I glanced at the man before I texted back that he did indeed look like his picture. My phone rang just a few seconds later, and my brother’s name came up on the screen.
“What did you find out?” I asked.
“Well, the man whose name is on the identification died three years ago in a boating accident while on a fishing trip with his brother. And he was black, so there’s that.”
“This guy is not.”
“Exactly. My contact took one look at the picture on that fake ID and said that man used to be an agent, but he left the job to go into the private sector and has basically become a gun for hire.”
“Meaning that the men he’s here with are also guns for hire.”
“I can’t say for certain, but it would seem so.”
“That’s how we’re gonna play it then. Thanks for your help, Chan.”
“Anytime, little brother. I mean that.”
“I hear ya. Take care.”
“You too.”
I blew out a breath before I said, “Seems like the men watching my place aren’t quite as on the up and up as their fake badges might lead someone to believe.”
“What do you want to do with him, and how are we gonna lure the rest of them in here?” Maple asked.
I took a long look at the man on the ground and then studied my brothers, who were standing around the room waiting to see what sort of plan I would devise. I had no doubt that they’d do whatever I asked because I’d do the same for them. However, I was pretty sure that the one I was about to choose wouldn’t like his first assignment very much.
“Lurk, how would you feel about being a fake Fed for a few minutes?”
“The thought gives me hives,” Lurk answered with a look of disgust.
“Well, my friend, out of everyone here, you look the most like that guy, so the job’s gonna fall to you.”
“What do you want me to do?”
I laughed softly before I said, “Strip while we get that guy down to his skivvies.”
“Ew.”
“I watched you use a toothpick to eat a squirrel heart like it was a delicacy, and you’re grossed out by wearing another man’s clothes?” Sarge asked in astonishment.
“For your information, the heart and liver are hot commodities and taste delicious when prepared the right way,” Lurk said haughtily while he pulled his T-shirt over his head and stepped out of his boots.
“I have to agree,” Roux said as he started tugging at the man’s tie. “They’re downright tasty.”
“I want to throw up, and it’s not just because I’m helping to undress another man,” Maple said in disgust.
Lurk ignored him and asked, “What do you want me to do when I get to wherever it is you’re going to tell me to go?”
“I want you to . . .” I looked over at the still-unconscious man before I shrugged and said, “Either disable them like you did this guy or end them if they prove to be a problem.”
“I can do either,” Lurk answered with a shrug. “Up to you.”
“Try the first option, use the second as a last resort, and please try not to make too much of a mess. When you’re finished with the men in the car he came from, you’re gonna have to walk over and figure out how to get inside the other one. That might be hard to do if you’re covered in blood.”
“You know, being the boss doesn’t have to mean that you suck the fun out of everything, Ajax. Damn.”
“He’s getting downright boring in his old age, isn’t he?” Sarge asked with a grin.
“All of you are fired.”
“You fired me last month,” Roux groused. “It’s no fun when you do it over and over again.”
“That line of thinking is why you don’t have a girlfriend,” Maple teased.
“He doesn’t have a girlfriend because no one can make sense of what he’s saying!” I argued.
“Mange tes morts,” Roux grumbled.
“What did you say to me?” I asked.
Maple chuckled before he answered, “He said he likes your hair.”
I knew that was a lie when Roux sputtered out a laugh and reached his hand out to bump knuckles with the only other French-speaking man in the room. Once again, I reminded myself that I really needed to learn how to speak their language, if for no other reason than to understand when they were insulting me and be able tell them to fuck off in their own language.
I wasn’t just surrounded by assholes. In this instance, I was their leader.